Mount St. Mary's University, in Emmitsburg, Maryland, is a has 2 distinct and unrelated identities, as I see it. On the one hand, 40% of their students are athletes competing in the Division 1 MAAC conference. This year, their men's basketball team qualified for the NCAA March Madness tournament. They were crushed by Duke, but thrilled to participate, sending busloads of students to the game on short notice. The athletic director was proud to tell us that the student athletes here have an average GPA of 3.3, higher than that of non-athletes.

On the other hand, this institution is deeply Catholic. During our counselor lunch, a student ambassador led a lengthy prayer before our meal, despite the fact that this was a secular audience. But Mount St. Mary's University is the oldest independent Catholic college in the US, is the largest seminary in the country, and is unapologetically Catholic. We were told that the Mount may not be the best fit for someone who doesn't believe in God. Every year before Thanksgiving break, the university celebrates a Thanksgiving dinner and treelighting event. That is followed by a month of Christmas programming including door decorating and a Christmas parade led by the president dressed as Santa Claus. There are also multiple chapels as well as a National Shrine Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes on campus, which is huge, beautiful, and sacred. But not for everyone.

Mount St. Mary's has a new president with nine months under his belt and a sincere vision for the university. The athletic director is also fairly new and spoke to the sense of family and community that is fostered here. Most impressively, the new dean of students addressed us with enormous enthusiasm about her plans to revitalize student life on campus. For example, every incoming freshman will be paired with an older student. The relationship starts at orientation and continues through the years.The goal is to get the freshmen to events who are afraid to go alone. They've also purchased 3 student life vans which student organizations can check out to go on weekend trips, as the local area doesn't have a lot to offer. In fact, our tour guide told us that most athletes travel on weekends and a lot of other students go home. I'm left with the feeling that this could be a fit for athletes and devout Catholics.